Variations on a Proposal
by Amelia Elizabeth
Summary: A series of little bits each containing a variation on a proposal that we all wished would have happened. Each one a little different, but the end result is always the same: Kathryn and Chakotay get married.
1. Chapter 1 - Too Busy

A series of little bits each containing a variation on a proposal that we all wished would have happened. A special shout out to Lia Harkness' lovely "Of the Night" for inspiring the format. As always, I don't own them because if I did, things would have ended up just like this, or like the next chapter or the one after that.

Chapter 1: Too Busy to Notice

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"Hey," Chakotay nudged her shoulder as they sat together on the couch. She had been diligently reading all evening, her head resting on his shoulder and a cup of coffee nearby.

"Hmmm?" Kathryn didn't look up from her work.

"I was thinking…" he began, hoping to draw her attention away from whatever she was reading.

"Never a good sign…" she muttered, still focused on the padd in her hands.

"Would you marry me?"

"Yes," she smiled, but still didn't look up.

"Good then its settled."

Kathryn looked up, her face slightly alarmed but a bright smile showing through. "Now wait just a minute…"

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	2. Chapter 2 - Coffee

Chapter 2: Coffee

A/N: This is especially for one of my reviewers who wanted to see something a little more romantic. I hope you enjoy! And please review!

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She put down the padd she was reading and held her head in her hands. It felt like she had been awake for hours, and judging from the time on the chronometer, that wasn't too far from the truth. She looked around for the nearest cup of coffee but realized that she had recycled it hours ago. Slowly, she rose to her feet and made her way over to the replicator.

She wanted to be in bed. Or rather, she wanted someone else to be at home, in bed so she could curl up along side him and sleep. But Chakotay was on a survey mission and she just couldn't sleep without him. And even if she could, she had a mountain of work to get through before morning.

"Coffee, black," she murmured.

The replicator beeped and a swirl of light appeared as an object began to materialize. It didn't really look like a cup. As noise stopped, she looked at what she had just been presented with. It was a small black box. She looked at it and sighed.

"Coffee, black." This time she was more forceful. Small black boxes didn't contain caffeine and at this hour, Kathryn really didn't want to know why it had appeared in the first place.

This time she knew immediately that the replicator was not creating her a steaming mug of coffee. Instead, a bouquet of red roses lay in front of her. Kathryn picked them up and sniffed them appreciatively.

Now she was curious. It wasn't every day that when her replicator broke it actually produced nice smelling things. She tried again.

"Coffee, black…" she asked hesitantly.

Almost instantly, a small note card appeared with the words "turn around" written on them. So she did as she was told, only to find the one person she wanted to see most in the entire universe standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame, his smile from ear to ear.

"Chakotay…" she gasped as he walked into the room. "How did you…?" She looked at the roses and the box and suddenly she knew. With a smile on his face, he knelt down in front of her, gently taking the box from her hands and opening it.

"Kathryn Janeway," he said, his voice calm and clear. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes!"

"I was hoping you would say that," he said as he scooped her up in his arms.

The reports could wait.

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	3. Chapter 3 - New Year's Eve

Chapter 3 – New Year's Eve

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They had been dancing in each other's arms all night, his hand resting softly on the small of her back, her head leaning against his shoulder. He looked down at the woman in his arms and smiled contently. He had never been this happy in his entire life and he could tell by the look in her eyes that she felt the same way too.

They had talked about marriage before, about what it would mean for them and their crew. Eventually, they had reached a sort of understanding: they would get married. It was just a matter of when. He was hers in every sense of the word and she was his, since the day they came back from New Earth. It was simple. It was basic and pure. And it was something he knew was very, very special.

They had even talked about a ring. At first he worried that that might be a little untraditional, but Kathryn Janeway was a very particular woman. He wanted to make sure that she loved it. They spent one evening curled up on their couch, looking at pictures as she gave her thoughts on each and everyone and he dutifully took notes. She gave him a slight smile when he told her he couldn't really tell her when or where the proposal would take place. Neither of them put much stock in ceremony.

So here they were, tonight, wrapped in the arms of the one they loved more than anything in the universe and he decided it was time.

"Kathryn," he said as he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Hmmm?" she looked up at him questioningly.

"Would you do me the honor of being my partner in life for the rest of our days?"

Instantly she smiled. She looked around the room at the rest of her crew, happily celebrating another year alive and well, albeit in the Delta Quadrant. She looked back up at him, finally seeing the ring in his hand, and nodded.

"Yes." She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. He grinned. He grinned like a fool and kissed her back.

Neither of them noticed when the crowd around them broke into cheers and applause.

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A/N: Happy New Year everyone!


	4. Chapter 4 - New Earth

Chapter 4 – New Earth

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"Kathryn, you're being ridiculous," he sighed as he looked up from the table. She was pacing again. She had been pacing all day ever since the thought had occurred to her. He wasn't sure why it mattered to her so much. All he knew was that if she kept this up, he was going to have to build a bigger house.

At the sound of her name, she turned, her long hair falling over her shoulders. He liked her hair like that. She never wore it like that back on Voyager but now she seemed to love to let it fall free in soft waves.

Slowly, she sat down at the table with him, resting her hands in her lap and frowning. "It isn't ridiculous."

"It really is."

"Tell me this doesn't bother you at all," she glared at him, but he could handle it.

"It doesn't bother me at all," he said evenly, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Why not?" she jumped up and began pacing. "This is serious. It took me three months of being stranded on this planet with you to finally admit it and another six months to understand that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life being married to you and now…"

"… and now that you are ready?" he prompted.

"We can't get married if there is no one who can marry us!"

"That is quite a problem," he smiled.

"You really aren't taking this seriously."

"Because it isn't that big an issue to me." He closed the book he had been trying to read. "Kathryn, do you love me?"

She gave him a look. "I just said I did."

"Kathryn…."

"Yes I do." He took her hands in his.

"And do you promise to love me as long as you live?"

"Yes," she said softly, her smile brightening. "And do you love me?"

"Yes I do," he said, giving her hands a gentle squeeze.

"And do you promise to love me as long as you live?"

"I do."

"Well, okay then," her voice trembled.

"See? That wasn't so hard…" he started but stopped as he felt her lips touch his.

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	5. Chapter 5 - Not As Planned

Chapter 5 – Not as planned

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He had been planning this day for months. It had taken careful saving of his replicator rations, always done cautiously so as not to arouse suspicion, several slightly backhanded deals for fresh fruits and vegetables, a failed attempt to get an entire evening alone on the holodeck, and one awkward conversation with a certain security chief who suspected that something was amiss. But Chakotay was beginning to have second thoughts.

Not about what he was planning. The only thought he had on that was that he should have done this alone time ago. Kathryn Janeway was the love of his life and he was looking forward to spending every day he had left together with her. He loved the way she smiled, the gentle hand she would place on his chest, or the laugh she rewarded him with when he succeeded in making her burden lighter or at least more amusing. No, he was certain about that.

He just wasn't sure that tonight was going to go exactly as he had planned. Kathryn hadn't been feeling well; no, that was an understatement. Kathryn had been physically ill that morning and he was beginning to worry that perhaps he should wait until she was feeling a little better. He was hopeful when she hungrily ate her lunch and then some of his, but her pallor returned later that afternoon. He watched her cautiously but she just shrugged and told him to stop worrying. He almost blurted out that it wasn't really her that he was worrying about.

She was off the bridge for the rest of the day after that. By the time his shift ended, he headed back to their quarters determined to follow through with his original plan. Tonight he was going to propose to Kathryn Janeway.

He had everything set out and ready to go, dinner on the table, a small black box in his pocket, candles and a little cider. When she finally got home, they ate dinner comfortably, chatting about work as Kathryn steadily refused any cider. Chakotay was so caught up in his plan that he barely noticed her fidgeting anxiously in her chair.

Finally, he decided it was time. He reached across the table to hold her hand. "Kathryn?"

She looked up at him, distracted. "Hmmm?"

"Will you marry me?"

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out at the exact same time.

"What?" he asked shocked.

"Will I what?" she gasped.

"You first," he said.

"No, I think traditionally yours comes first," she offered with a bit of a smile.

"Kathryn, are you serious?"

She nodded. "I just found out this afternoon and I would have taken you with me but I didn't think it was anything but when I saw that you had all this planned I just…" she was rambling. "I'm sorry, I've ruined this whole thing."

"Of course not," he assured her, grinning and taking both of his hands in hers. "Kathryn, we're going to have a baby!"

She nodded, smiling sheepishly. "In about eight months."

"I love you, you know that right?" He leaned over to give her a gentle kiss. He couldn't stop smiling.

"I love you too." She studied his face closely. "Now, I believe you were asking me a very important question."

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	6. Chapter 6 - I'll Wait

Chapter 6 – I'll wait

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"Is that really an ancient legend?"

"No," he admitted. "But that made it easier to say." She smiled, despite the tears in her eyes as he reached out to hold her hand.

"Chakotay…" her voice trembled when she finally spoke again.

"Don't worry," he shook his head gently.

"I'm not ready… I can't do this, what you want… I'm not…" her voice caught in her throat and the tears began to spill freely down her cheeks.

"I know." He slowly let go of her hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small wooden box. Kathryn's curiosity had gotten the better of her and she turned her head to the side to watch him.

"Kathryn, I know that you aren't ready for what I'm asking. And I want you to know that that is just fine with me," he said as he took her hand again. "I want you to have this."

She picked up the box and examined it closely. It was beautiful and inside was a simple silver ring. She looked up at him, almost angry.

"What is this?"

"It's a wedding ring." He quickly held up his hand to stop her. "Kathryn, I'm not proposing. Not yet anyway. I want you to have this because I want you to know that I'll wait for you. When you are ready, I'll be here. Just give it back to me and I'll know."

"Chakotay," she swallowed hard. "What if I make you wait a long, long time? I can't do that to you."

"Yes, you can," he smiled. "I love you and I'll wait for you no matter how long it takes. I don't care if we are still here or back on Voyager or Earth, old or young, I want to marry you. And I'll wait."

"Do you promise?"

"Kathryn…" he pushed the box closed in her hands. "Of course I promise."

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End file.
